Detailed Course Outline
Preface
- • Course Overview
- • Intended Audience
- • Course Objectives
- • Prerequisites
Unit 1 - Overview of the Informix Database Server
- • Describe the major components of the Informix Database Server
- • Define database server terms
- • Describe major database server events
Unit 2 - Preparing for configuration
- • Review the contents of the release notes
- • Identify the kernel parameters that must be set
- • Determine operating system patches that must be applied
Unit 3 - Configuring client-server connectivity
- • List the methods to connect to the database server
- • Make appropriate entries into the sqlhosts file
- • Set the environment variables necessary for a client application to connect to the database server
Unit 4 - Configuring a database server
- • Create cooked files or prepare raw devices for server disk storage
- • Set environment variables necessary to administer a database server
- • Explain the purpose of the configuration file
- • Identify basic configuration parameter settings required to bring up a simple database server
- • Use a text editor to modify the configuration file
- • Bring the database server online
Unit 5 - Monitoring the database server
- • Describe the use of the SMI (System Monitoring Interface)
- • Connect to the sysmaster database and run simple SQL queries
- • Use onstat to monitor information about the database server
- • Use oncheck to gather information about space usage and the status of indexes and tblspaces
Unit 6 - Managing shared memory
- • List and describe the database server operating modes
- • Use onmode and oninit to change the operating mode
- • Describe the shared memory segments used by the database server
- • Describe the configuration parameters that affect the size of shared memory
- • Set the RESIDENT parameter to control shared memory residency
- • Monitor the major components of shared memory
Unit 7 - Virtual processors and threads
- • Define a thread
- • Describe the multithreaded architecture
- • Describe how the virtual processors are implemented in Unix
- • Use onstat to monitor VPs and threads
- • List and explain the virtual processor classes
- • Describe how network connections are handled by the server
- • Set server configuration parameters related to VPs and threads
- • Dynamically add and remove virtual processors
Unit 8 - Disk architecture
- • Describe the Dynamic Server page and chunk structure
- • Explain how pages are allocated within extents
- • Explain the difference between table and index extents
- • Describe the relationship between chunks and dbspaces
- • Describe the overhead pages in various types of chunks
- • Describe the structure of a dbspace, blobspace, and sbspace
- • Use the oncheck command to display reports about space allocation, tblspace usage, and index usage
- • Use onstat to display dbspace and chunk information
Unit 9 - Managing and monitoring disk space
- • Create and drop dbspaces, blobspaces, and sbspaces
- • Change the status of a mirrored dbspace
- • Monitor dbspaces, blobspaces, and sbspaces
- • Use the storage pool and the APIs to administer storage spaces
Unit 10 - Physical and logical logging
- • Move the physical log to a plogspace
- • Add, drop, and modify logical logs
- • Change the logging mode of a database
- • Define a long transaction
- • List and describe configuration parameters related to physical and logical logging
- • Monitor the physical and logical logs
Unit 11 The shared memory buffer pool
- • List the steps performed by the server to update a row on disk
- • Describe the checkpoint process
- • Describe the differences between a blocking and a nonblocking checkpoint
- • Properly set the configuration parameters related to checkpoints
- • Describe what events cause a checkpoint to occur
- • Monitor checkpoints and buffer writes performed by the server
Unit 12 Fault tolerance
- • Describe the types of failures that could occur on the server system
- • Describe the fast recovery process
- • Examine the status of chunks and dbspaces
- • Identify the configuration parameters associated with recovery
Unit 13 Introduction to backup and restore
- • Identify Informix backup and restore utilities
- • Explain the backup and restore process
- • Explain the incremental backup levels
- • Explain the two different methods to backup logical logs
- • Describe the difference between a warm and cold restart
Unit 14 Backup and restore using ontape
- • Configure your server to use ontape for backup and restore
- • Perform a server backup using ontape
- • Backup logical log files using ontape
- • Perform a warm restore using ontape
Unit 15 Temporary files and tables
- • Describe the temporary objects created by the database server
- • Describe the configuration parameters and environment variables related to temporary objects
- • Explain the importance of using multiple temporary dbspaces
- • Explain the purpose of the WITH NO LOG clause when used to create temporary tables
- • Use onstat and the SMI to monitor the space used to create temporary objects
Unit 16 Performance features
- • Configure your server to perform read-aheads
- • Configure your server to use recovery threads
- • Configure your server to enable or disable the use of OS time
- • Describe the PDQ operations available in the database server
- • Describe configuration parameters that control PDQ resources
- • Configure your server to use the SQL statement cache
Unit 17 Monitoring user activity
- • Use onstat and the sysmaster database to monitor user activity on the database server
- • Identify the resources held by a user session
- • Display the last SQL command run by a user session
- • Identify which user sessions have created temporary tables
- • Describe how to identify the type of locks held by user sessions
- • Identify and terminate a specific user session
- • Explain the purpose of the dynamic lock manager
Unit 18 Event alarms
- • Explain how to use the event alarm feature
- • List the event security codes
- • List the classes of alarm events in the server environment
- • Explain the purpose of the system alarm program
Unit 19 SQL administrative functions and task scheduler
- • Use SQL commands to perform system administrative tasks
- • Use the built-in scheduler to automatically perform routine tasks
Unit 20 Troubleshooting
- • Identify and respond to common server problems
- • Run the commands to check for consistency of the disk subsystem
- • Identify the version and serial number of the database server
- • Identify permission problems with devices and server files
- • Describe the information required by Technical Support
- • Describe the parts of a database version number
- • Recover from a simple permission or data storage location problem in the server
Unit 21 A configuration case study (optional)
- • Set required server environment variables
- • Create an sqlhosts file entry to enable a connection
- • Initialize and configure a server
- • Use command line utilities or SQL administrative routines to reinitialize the server and to:
- • Create dbspaces
- • Create and delete logical logs
- • Move the physical log
Appendix A Installing Informix on Linux / UNIX
- • Prepare the host machine for installation of the Informix server
- • Install Informix on the host machine